Stop motion for knitting machines



Ndv. 25, 1941. v c, A. VARNER 2,264,227

STOP MOTION FOR. KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 27",. 1939 r 2 Sheets-Sheet l ii .i 1 w M (2'44; mfiitfi IN VEN TOR.

6* 'BY 7 ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 25, 1941. Q VARNER 2,264,227

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES a u h 2 23 1 Filed De c. 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 v v 4f 4 ad, Farmer I IN VEN TOR. I

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 Application December 27, 1939, Serial No. 311,186

v(Cl. 66-158) This invention relates to an attachment for 3 Claims.

use as a stop motion for knitting machines employed in the manufacture of half-hose, anklets, and other knitted articles into which rubber threads are knitted for the purpose of securing elasticity.

In machines thus far used for knitting articles with elastic portions, there is provided a tension through which the rubber thread travels, a finger which is engaged by the rubber thread, and a clamp on the dial of the machine, this clamp serving to hold the rubber thread.

An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment to be positioned between the tension device and the finger herein referred to and which is maintained substantially in. a predetermined position as long as the machine is operating in a normal way. The finger referred to operates intermittently to insert the rubber thread and this finger drops at every fourth round for that purpose.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means whereby shoul the yarn being used fail, for any reason, to move with the rubber when the finger drops, as mentioned, the resultant slack in the normally tensioned rubber thread will result in loss of tension and operate through the present invention, to trip a stop motion.

As before stated knitting machines of the general type to which the present invention is to be applied, are provided with dials and on each dial there is a clamp with a spring that operates to hold the rubber thread. When the finger that carries this thread drops in with the yarn during the knitting operation, it pulls the rubber thread from under the clamp in the production of the top of the hose. When the top of the hose or the like is completed the finger comes back out and the clamp on the dial operates to raise so that the rubber thread will go back under it. Here the rubber is held until the next article is to be produced. Should the clamp be affected in any way as by some foreign substance getting under it, or by the breaking of the spring, the rubber thread would slip from under it so that the tension on the thread would be released.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment which will automatically stop the knitting operation when a rubber thread is released as stated.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which can be used in connection with the ordinary stop motion Without necessitating E2 in the top 6.

any change therein or in any way interfering with its proper operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the attachment..

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33,Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4fl, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6t, Figure 3.

Figure '7 is an elevation of the lower portion of the attachment showing the positions of the parts when tripped.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates the base of the attachment which can be secured on a knitting machine in any manner desired. To this base is attached a standard 2 on the upper end of which is mounted a rocker arm 3 which, in the structure shown, has terminal guide eyes a To the base I is secured a bracket 5 having a top portion 6 which overlies the base i. A stop ear l extends downwardly from the top of this bracket and another car 8 projects upwardly therefrom, V p

A latching lever 9 ispivotally connected tothe ear 8, as indicated at it and extends over thev top 6 of bracket 5. This latching lever has an offset portion H extending downwardly therefrom which is adapted to move into and out of a slot Lever 9 is of such length asto extend into close proximity to the standard 2.

When the offset portion i i is extended through slot I? as shown in Figure 1, it constitutes a keeper for an actuating lever l3 which is fulcrumed in bracket 5 on a pivot pin l4 and is engaged by a spring I5 which serves'to hold the operating lever normally pressed toward the stop I.

A rod It serves to connect lever E3 to the usual stop motion, not shown, and a finger piece'l'! is extended from the lever and serves a a means whereby said lever can be shifted against the action of its spring while being tripped.

A wing I8 is extended laterally from the top of lever I3 and is so located that when said lever is in one limit of its movement and in contact with stop 1, said wing projects under and closes slot I2 so as to support the offset or keeper portion I I of latch 9 out of the path of lever I3.

A tripping lever I9 is fulcrumed between its ends on the lower portion of standard 2 as shown at 20 and one arm of this lever is connected by a rod 2| to one end portion of the rocker arm 3. The other arm of lever I9 has a retaining loop 23 extending upwardly therefrom through which one end portion of latching lever 9 extends loosely.

After the attachment herein described has been installed and connected by rod I5 to the stop motion ordinarily found on knitting machines, the operating lever I3 is thrust against the action of spring I5 so as to remove wing I8 from under slot I2 and bring the lever into position beside said slot whereby the keeper II will be free to drop back of the lever and hold the spring under increased tension and the lever from returning toward the stop I. When lever 9 is in its lowermost position with keeper I I located as in Figure 5 and lever I3 held against movement by keeper II, the tripping lever is held with the loop 23 in its lower position. This is due to the fact that rod 2I pulls upwardly on the other arm of lever I9 when the rubber thread R being used in the machine, is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. Obviously during this movement the thread exerts a downward pull on that end of rocker arm 3 remote from rod 2| so that said rod is pulled upwardly as already explained.

The pulling force exerted by the rubber thread during the operation of the machine is sufficient to maintain the tripping lever I9 substantially in the position shown in Figure 2. However should the yarn thread, which is being fed through the machine in the usual manner, become broken, the knitting machine would not take up the unbroken rubber thread. Instead the rubber thread would gather or accumulate at the machine so that it would become slack and relieved of tension between the lever 3 and the usual finger of the knitting machine. The same action would occur also under other conditions. For example should some object become caught in the rubber thread gripping clamp carried by the dial of a knitting machine, the rubber thread would slip, thereby relieving its tension. Lever 3 thus moves out of normal position and rod 2| moves downwardly, causing tripping lever I9 to shift and push upwardly on that end of latch lever 9 overlying the tripping lever. Therefore the keeper I I will be withdrawn from the path of lever I3 and said lever will be released for actuation by its spring. The released lever will move toward and against stop I and this movement will be suflicient to operate rod I6 and trip the stop motion.

The action just described will also occur should the rubber thread break or should it be released by the clamp usually found on the dial of a knitting machine.

After the rubber thread has been restored to proper tension, thereby returning trip lever I9 to its normal position, the latch lever 9 is again positioned back of the operating lever I3 to hold it against the action of its spring whereupon the parts are reset.

What is claimed is:

1. A stop motion controlling attachment for knitting machines using yarn and rubber threads, said attachment including a rocker arm for working engagement by a tensioned rubber thread which constitutes means for holding the arm in one position while the thread is moving in one direction into the machine with the yarn, a tripping element operatively connected to the rocker arm and positioned for actuation thereby when the yarn is broken and the rubber thread gathers at the machine and relieves the arm from tension, a spring-controlled operating lever positioned for attachment to the stop motion, a latching element positioned for actuation by the tripping lever and movable into the path of the operating lever to hold said lever against movement in one direction, and means carried by the operating lever for supporting the latching element out of holding position when said lever is released from the latching element.

2. An attachment for actuating the stop motion of a knitting machine using yarn and rubber thread, said attachment including a rocker arm having a means for guiding a rubber thread which constitutes means for holding the arm in one position while the thread is moving in one direction into the machine with the yarn, an operating lever, means for connecting said lever to a stop motion, spring means for urging the lever in one direction to actuate the stop motion, a, latch lever mounted for gravitation into the path of the operating lever to hold said operating lever against movement under the action of its spring, means on the operating lever for supporting the latch lever out of holding position while the operating lever is released from the latching lever and for releasing th latching lever for travel into the path of the operating lever when said operating lever is shifted in one direction against the action of its spring, a tripping lever positioned to engage and shift the latching lever, and an operative connection between the tripping lever and the rocker arm, said rocker arm and connection constituting means for actuating the tripping lever when the yarn is broken and the rubber thread gathers at the machine and relieves the rocker arm from the pull of the rubber thread.

3. An attachment for actuating the stop motion of a knitting machine using yarn and rubber thread, including a rocker arm constituting a guide for a rubber thread and held in one position thereby while the thread i moving in one direction into the machine with the yarn, a spring-propelled actuating lever for attachment to a stop motion, a latching lever, a bracket having an opening and constituting a support for the actuating lever, means depending from the latching lever and guided in the opening for holding the actuating lever against movement under the action of its spring, a tripping lever connected to the rocker arm and movable in one direction therewith to shift the latchin lever and release the actuating lever when the yarn is broken and the rubber thread collects at the machine and relieves the rocker arm from the pull of the rubber thread, and means movable with the actuating lever for engaging and supporting the depending portion of the shifted latching lever when said actuating lever is released.

CHARLES A. VARNER. 

